1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a device used for medical treatments. More particularly, the present invention is related to a device and medical treatments for treating diseases accompanied by a metabolic disorder, weakening of enzymatic processes, and a regenerative function disorder in affected tissues. The method of medical treatment is used for therapy of rheumatoid arthritis, angiopathic syndrome at diabetes mellitus, gastric and duodenal ulcers, paradontosis and paradontitis, burns, as well as during remission after local facial plastic surgery. It can also be applied for treating other diseases of the same class.
2. Description of the Related Art
A method of treating diabetic angiopathy of inferior limbs (Russian Patent No. C1, 2049500, Dec. 10, 1995) is known that implies an internal irradiation of blood with a low-frequency IR emission. A method of treating diabetes mellitus (Russian Patent No. C1 2018329, Aug. 30, 1994) is known that uses a coherent emission to directly irradiate the liquid blood component. The above methods imply a direct effect of an internal irradiation upon the blood. They, however, provide no possibility to affect the physiological processes in tissue cells, or their effects are mediated by a number of uncontrolled factors. Besides, a coherent IR emission used in this case features a lower degree of penetration into tissues, which makes its effect on the tissue structure less organic and, consequently, more rigid.
A device for general local body heating (German Patent No. 4113803, 1992) is known that provides a deep penetration of IR emission into a human body. Its curing effect, however, is provided by a rise of tissue temperature that leads to an enhanced necrosis and drying of tissues in the process of their healing, thus promoting a secondary inflammatory process and introducing an additional risk factor in case of vasodilatation in pathologically changed tissues.
A method of treating skin injuries (Russian Patent No. C1 2032432, Apr. 30, 1995) is known based on the effect produced by a pulsed monochromatized light beam in the red wavelength band. The beam pulse mode, however, is applied in a limited wavelength band as the treated tissues are exposed to light having the wavelength of only 0.6 to 0.69 .mu.m at a reduced power density of 5 to 10 mW/cm.sup.2. Thus, it cannot produce a curing effect for the whole class of diseases accompanied by metabolic disorders.
A multi-wavelength medical laser (U.S. Pat. No. 5,304,167, Apr. 19, 1994) is known that generates a first beam of pulsed electromagnetic energy and a second beam of electromagnetic energy having its wavelength in a visible portion of the optical spectrum, with both of them affecting the tissues simultaneously. This reference, however, discloses that the laser's wave energy is used for surgery rather than therapy.
An apparatus for thermal stimulation (Russian Patent No. 2045969 C1, Oct. 20, 1995) is known that affects tissues by IR emission in order to stimulate tissue processes. However, the stimulation used for the purpose is thermal.
A method of stimulating biologically active points (Russian Patent No. 93003767 A, Jul. 27, 1995) is known that stimulates body processes through use of IR-range wavelengths that feature a better penetration through the skin. However, the irradiation waveband ranges from 0.8 to 3 .mu.m with its source located over the biologically active points affecting the entire body functions, rather than over the organ that controls the course of disease, thus leaving the disease out of consideration.
A method for treating the bleeding of hemophiliacs (U.S. Pat. No. 5,161,526, Nov. 10, 1992) is known based on biostimulation of affected regions of muscles and joints with a beam of light. This method, however, is applied only to stop bleeding and to increase blood coagulability through use of wavelengths ranging from 5.0 to 1.1 .mu.m that are not effective for curing the whole set of medical indications typical to the entire class of diseases in question.
A method of affecting biological objects (Russian Patent No. 93015098 A, Sep. 10, 1995) is known that uses modulated pulses of energy, for instance IR energy, to optimize functioning of the biological object energy system and to affect the region of a sore organ. This method, however, does not imply affecting metabolic, regenerative, and enzymatic processes in tissues by treating disorders in tissue capillary circulation, vascular circulation, flow of lymph, as well as treating deceleration of blood flow and oxidation-reduction processes that cause functional, anatomic, and morphological changes in the structure of tissues of all kinds. Besides, the produced effects provide no increase to the curing efficiency compared to the optimum curing effect for diseases caused by disorders of metabolic, regenerative and enzymatic processes in tissues.
The closest to the suggested method of treatment is a method of treating gastric and duodenal ulcers (Russian Patent No. 94019587 A, 1997), implying a 1 to 20 minute transcutaneous irradiation of the affected region of mucosa with IR emission having the power density of 50 to 300 mW/cm.sup.2. However, the efficiency of this method is rather low, since the irradiation is performed through the skin site located directly over the affected region of mucosa and is unable to produce an optimum effect on metabolic, enzymatic, and regenerative processes in tissues. The emission has the wavelength from 7 to 25 .mu.m. The given method of treatment provides a curing effect after a large number of irradiation sessions, however, complications are observed in the form of tissue necrosis and edema that decrease the efficiency of treatment by lowering the level of effects on tissues' regenerative, enzymatic, and metabolic processes. This is caused by the fact that the shallow penetration of the emission is unable to activate all the potentials of tissue structures across their entire thickness. Besides, activation and optimization of processes in tissues is also not equally effective for different types of tissues, different locations of affected tissues (deep or shallow), and different types of diseases. This increases the risk of relapses and complications, and decelerates the tissue healing process, since certain undesirable effects like necrosis, keloid cicatrices, and tissue edema have sufficient time to evolve.
A selective polarizing laser mirror (Russian Patent No. 2034318 C1, Apr. 30, 1995) is known with a multi-layer dielectric coat applied onto an optical substrate. The mirror polarizes the emission. The latter, however, is generated by another source, hence, its polarization parameters cannot be controlled by the given device.
A method of filtering optical emission (SU No. 1810868 C1, Apr. 23, 1993) is known based on a linear polarization of light. The method makes it possible to cut off a long-wave portion of the emission and to continuously vary the limiting passband frequency. However, it cannot linearly polarize a specific wavelength of the emission that varies in accordance with the task.
A device for treatment of undesired skin disfigurements (U.S. Pat. No. 5,320,618, Jun. 14, 1994) is known that emits a pulsating light beam. However, the light wavelength transformer used in the device does not respond to wavelength variations and cannot provide an optimum curing effect by combining a specific wavelength of the emission with a certain magnitude of its pulsation.
High energy light emitting diodes (LEDs) for photodynamic therapy (PCT Patent No. 93/21842 A1, 1993) are known. The device and the method suggested for activating the healing processes by photodynamic therapy utilize the emission of powerful LEDs in a certain preselected portion of the optical spectrum. However, a complex feedback circuit needed to monitor the light parameters makes it impossible to adjust the device to a specific type of disease.
A polarizing grating (SU No. 1781659 C1, Dec. 15, 1992) is known that polarizes light in a broad waveband from 1 to 100 .mu.m. However, it provides for no variations of emission parameters required for treating a specific type of disease, since no wavelength selection within the preset band is envisaged. An apparatus for bioenergetic therapy (Russian Patent No. 2043759 C1, Sep. 20, 1995) is known consisting of a pulse generator and an IR generator. However, it cannot provide the required combinations of a specific wavelength of the emission with certain pulse parameters through a direct control over the light emitter to obtain an optimum curing effect for a specific disease.
An irradiating device (German Patent No. 4129192 A1, March 1993) is known that passes the varying portion of the emission through by means of a frequency-selective partially transparent glass. In other words, a spectrum, initially containing parasitic (harmful) components, is emitted and then corrected by a special unit.
An irradiating device (German Patent No. 4112275 A1, 1992) is known in which the spectrum is divided by special spectrum dividers with a dichroic coat. The device permits to emit a spectrum with preset characteristics, though provides no spectrum variation in combination with and depending upon the length, polarization, and modulation of the wave.
A method and a device for inducing tanning by pulsed light (U.S. Pat. No. 5,282,842, Feb. 1, 1994) are known. However, the device emitter is not included into the circuit designed for varying the pulse cycles, thus the device itself cannot be adjusted to a specific type of disease.
A light therapy system (U.S. Pat. No. 5,259,380, Nov. 9, 1993) is known based on LEDs that emit a narrow-band noncoherent light with a central wavelength. The LEDs are grouped into diode banks controlled by a device that generates a difference of potentials and a unit that forms a voltage with preset characteristics. However, selection of required emission parameters is performed by the entire system, rather than through use of emitter properties.
A light therapy device (Russian Patent No. 2014854 C1, Jun. 30, 1994) is known that provides a curing effect using a periodic pulsed IR beam of controlled intensity. The emission is generated by metal halogen lamps that have a certain filling and provide control over the intensity and spectral composition of the emitted light, though being unable to provide its linear polarization and ensure an optimum combination of the wave length, modulation, and polarization required for treating a specific disease.
Light therapy devices comprising light emitters and a control system (Russian Patent No. 2014854 C1, Sep. 20, 1994; and Russian Patent No. 2033823 A1, Sep. 20, 1995) are the closest by their engineering solution to the proposed device. Their emitters are calibrated depending on the requirements to the emitted flux density, and the process of controlling the flux parameters depends on the program of therapy. However, the control over the flux parameters is secured by changing the location of the emitter relative to the pathology focus or by changing the emitters themselves, which prevents selection of an optimum combination of emission characteristics to obtain the maximum curing effect for a specific disease.
The method for treating inflammatory processes and uncomplicated ulcerations of gastric and duodenal mucosa (Russian Patent No. 4707945 A1, Nov. 26, 1991) is the closest by its technical essence to the suggested method of treating pathological tissues. It envisages a possibility of simultaneous treatment of both the surface layers of mucosa and deeper layers of the organ walls with a partial absorption of the irradiation by the tissues located between these layers. However, the applied spectral band can be varied only by combining the powers supplied to the emitter, for instance to a set of halogen lamps, or by changing the distance from the distal end of an endoscope to the irradiated tissue surface. The method does not allow combining polarization and modulation together with power and wavelength variation to obtain an optimum combination of emission parameters for treating a specific disease.